Paula Pļavniece
Mar 16, 2024


Paula Pļavniece

I am an artist from theatre troupe KVADRIFRONS- mostly focusing on stage directing. I have worked in governmental and independent theatres and art projects and I always enjoy working in site specific projects, working with local communities and festivals.  In my art practice I am transferring my interest of the word, different cultures, parts of society and feeling of injustice into socially active and emotionally loaded stories and experiences for the audience.  I love to explore such topics as – inclusion, ecology, teenagers etc. and am working with new drama and originally made plays.  Some of my performances have received the National Theatre award in Latvia and now I am looking forward to new international collaborations and new friends in art.

Practice: Theatre maker, stage director

Areas of interest: Inclusion, ecology, local communities, kids, teenagers

Magic carpets project | Imagining gardens 

Final project of the residency was performative opera being made. We were three mentors and four residents from different fields of art who came together and made a performative peace in the streets of local town. We worked with local communities – youth choir, local soloists and historic materials from locals and researchers. That was an hour long walking event with 6 stops for audience to experience small metaphoric stories from islands history and connection with  today life, witch all came together in the final act where all met – stories, songs, dances , locals , tourists and art professionals. The peace was made in 10 days on the island and in numerous online meet ups before the residency.

Past projects

“MARIJA AND THUNDER”

Type: Performance

Performance was made specially for theatre festival in Valmiera, Latvia. It takes place in abandoned territory in the city and tells the story about growing up being a part of LGBTQ+ community. The performance was awarded with a National theatre prize in 2021.

 

“COUNTRY OF GRANDMOTHERS”

Type: Performance

It is a mocumentary performance based on the real stories and verbatim materials about life of elderly people in Latvia. The performance tells a socially precise and touching story about love, childhood, death and social injustice. The performance was nominated for the large-scale performance of the year in National theatre award in 2019.  And shown in National television afterwards.

 

“GARDEN OF EDEN”

Type: Performance

Performance takes place in Botanical Garden of Riga and talks about climate crisis. In fun way, with songs and amazing scenography, sitting in one of the most beautiful places in Riga, audience can experience and think of most horrifying scenarios of our future.

What inspires you as an artist? I’m inspired by contemporary art exhibitions – I can wonder around for hours, the same goes with academic music concerts, that’s the best place where new ideas are born. And of course, wild Latvian nature and traveling inspires me a lot.

What do you think is the purpose of art? For me art is a form of thinking. The way how one thinks of the world and processes on our planet. The creator and spectator communicate and have a conversation between their ways of thinking. In process of that the emotions and new ideas are being made and that is best outcome of making art.

Contacts

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